Tag Archives: riddle

This constitutes a profound Riddle of Holiness. Note η Σφίγξ = Υραίος = 781 = 71 x 11. See authorities for special meanings of these words.*

Those only understand it who combine in themselves the extremes of Moral Idea, identifying them through transcendental overcoming of the antinomy. They must have gone further yet, beyond the fundamental opposition of the sexes. The male must have completed himself and become androgyne; the female become gynander.

This incompleteness imprisons the soul. To think “I am not woman, but man” or vice versa, is to limit one’s self, to set a bar to one’s motion. It is the root of the ‘shutting-up’ which culminates in becoming “Mary inviolate” or a “Black Brother”.

Aleister Crowley, Commentary to Liber LXV, V.44 in Commentaries on the Holy Books and Other Papers, pp202–204 and In The Continuum, vol II no 1, pp37–38

* “η Σφίγξ is ‘the Sphinx,’ or ‘the strangler.’ Υραίος is not a Greek word but adds to 781, and appears to be a transliteration of ‘uræus.'”—Hymenaeus Beta, Commentaries on the Holy Books and Other Papers (N.B. Though ‘uræus’ indeed seems more relevant, I note that υραῖος appears at least in Skeat’s as a Greek word meaning “aged, gray” listed as a root for the word “gray”—Librarian)

Hermetic quote Crowley Commentary Liber LXV think not woman man vice versa limit self bar motion root shutting up culminates becoming mary inviolate black brother

But in this story, as in so many others, what we really discern is the deceptive, ambiguous, and giddy riddle of violence, passion, poetry, and symbolism that lies at the heart of Greek myth and refuses to be solved. An algebra too unstable properly to be computed, it is human-shaped and god-shaped, not pure and mathematical.

Stephen Fry, Mythos [Bookshop, Amazon, Publisher]

Hermetic quote Fry Mythos human-shaped god-shaped not pure and mathematical

What’s Wrong with the Movies? by Aleister Crowley in Vanity Fair, Jul 1917.

“And so, alas, it all came about.

These two master minds could not foresee that everyone who had read Hugo’s great story would leave the theatre foaming at the mouth, raving for blood.

Similarly with ‘Hedda Gabler.’ They had to improve on Ibsen’s great curtain, and bring in George Tesman to confront Brack, who faints on hearing the pistol shot, and asks, ‘Why should you faint at my wife’s death?’ with all the air of one who proposes an amusing riddle!” [via]